Managing Mischief's Consequences
by LetheSara
Summary: A man he'd once trusted, a man he'd even called his friend, has done the unthinkable to someone he loved. Now Sirius Black is going to make them pay… Or at least that's what he thought.
1. Complete and Utter Bastard

_A/N: Okay, I was up until the early hours of the morning writing this, but it was worth it. Yes I know that strictly speaking, this would never happen, but it's fanfiction - anything can happen..._

_I had originally intended for this to be a oneshot, but now I think I'll make multiple chapters. But tell me what you think. Should I continue? _

_Enjoy._

**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

THE COMPLETE AND UTTER BASTARD!'

He cursed, nearly screaming. His words echoing through the decaying halls of Number 12.

'HOW DARE HE!

THE NERVE!

THE SCUM!

THE COMPLETE AND UTTER SCUM!

WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM, HE'LL WISH HE SPENT TWELVE YEARS IN AZKABAN!'

'Sirius, please. It's…it's really not that bad.' She offered.

'NOT THAT BAD?' he shrieked.

'NOT THAT BAD?

HAVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF LATELY?

HOW CAN YOU DEFEND HIM AFTER WHAT HE'S DONE?'

'Sirius please. You know him, he didn't mean to.'

'DIDN'T MEAN TO WHAT?

DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE YOU?

DIDN'T MEAN TO BREAK YOUR HEART?

OR DIDN'T MEAN TO KNOCK YOU UP?

WHICH ONE IS IT TONKS? YOU TELL ME?'

'Sirius. You need to calm down.' She said a little more forcefully now.

'NO. I WILL NOT CALM DOWN NYMPHADORA!

HOW CAN I?

MY BEST FRIEND KNOCKED UP MY COUSIN, WHO'S THRITEEN YEARS HIS JUNIOR, AND NOW HE'S RUN AWAY!

HOW COULD HE?

MARK MY WORDS NYMPHADORA, HE WILL RUE THE DAY HE DIDN'T KEEP HIS FILTHY PAWS TO HIMSELF.

I WILL MAKE HIM PAY.'

'DON'T call me Nymphadora, Sirius.' She warned

'Yes, I know what he did was wrong and stupid and that he deserves everything you have in mind for him and more. But at the end of the day, you're not the one who's pregnant with his child. He didn't walk out _your_ door and break _your_ heart. He broke mine. And now I have to deal with the consequences.' She finished, somewhat resigned.

As she spoke, not only could he see the sadness in her eyes, he could also sense the hopelessness in her voice. Somehow, seeing his baby cousin, his strong, independent, Auror, baby cousin, so defeated caused his anger to dissolve away into almost nothingness. Almost.

'And I'll be right by your side, all the way.' He moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a brotherly hug. A gesture he had intended to be comforting, but she broke down in tears nonetheless, clutching his arms.

'I WANT TO HATE HIM!' she wailed 'I WANT TO HATE HIM SO MUCH! But no matter how hard I try, I just can't bring myself to. Sirius, in spite of everything he's done, I still love him. It's like I can't stop loving him. And the thing is, I don't want to.' She had collapsed into her cousin's chest and although she had stopped howling, she was still crying. 'You know him better than I do Sirius, in all your years of friendship, everything you've been through together, did you ever think he could do something like this? Something so selfish and cruel? '

'Honestly? No.' he answered simply as he sat her down on the old moth eaten lounge and took the seat next to her.

'He was always the quietest, seemed to always have his head in a book and it was like there was no question he couldn't answer. He was the good one, the polite one, the one that made you wonder "why on earth he was friends with Sirius Black". But when he was up to something, it was beautiful. He poured his heart and soul into it, there was nothing he couldn't do, a troublemaker to the core. The only difference was he knew how to not get caught, and I'll admit that that's something James and I never quite got the hang of.' Sirius smiled slightly at the memories before continuing.

'But he was always loyal, always there. He was quietly courageous, and considering everything he's been through, he's one of the bravest people I've ever known.' He sighed. 'So no. I would never have thought that Remus Lupin would ever run away like a coward.'

She nodded sadly at this, taking in what he had just said and slowly dried the tears from eyes with her sleeve. Glancing up at her cousin, through the haggard and gaunt face, she could see hints of the man he use to be, and in some senses still was. Warm, affectionate and loyal, she hadn't ever looked at him this way before. All the times she, Remus and Sirius had spent in the dank kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, she had only ever seen him as a loud, somewhat vulgar, womanizing, thirty-something, wanted criminal. How she had ever grown to care about him she didn't know, but now, she was kind of glad she had. She couldn't help but smile.

'You know.' She said aloud, interrupting the silence, 'I'd never of imagined Sirius Black adopting the role of a father figure.' He grinned at her comment.

'I don't really see myself as the "father figure", more like the irresistibly handsome, sometimes slightly drunk, but undeniably cool uncle that everyone loves.' She couldn't help it, she laughed.

'Undoubtedly.' She agreed. After all, who needed a depressing, old werewolf when you had someone like Sirius around?

'And just think of the possibilities.' He told her, smiling somewhat smugly. 'When the baby's born, you could call him Sirius, after yours truly of course.'

'But what if he's a girl, Sherlock?' she asked him, eyebrows raised questioningly and his smile slipped momentarily, before growing wider than before.

'Than call her Sirius. Either way it works quite well. And you've got to admit, it's catchy.' She laughed again while listening to him reciting his name over and over again as if trying to convince her.

'No matter how many times you say it, somehow I don't think I'll be calling my baby "Sirius", Sirius.'

'Sure, you may say that now.' He told her fairly disbelievingly. 'But mark my words Nymphadora, in nine months time, you'll of changed your tune.' At this she burst out laughing, and although you'd never get her to admit it, she was actually contemplating the name in her head. _Sirius, Sirius…He's right, it is catchy. Sirius…Sirius…_

'Don't call me Nymphadora.' She told him once more, but his time, her heart wasn't quite in it. It was more like a force of habit rather than an actual admonishment. After all, part of her couldn't believe that in such a short space of time they'd gone from screaming and swearing revenge, to holding their sides with laughter at the prospect of future baby names. The other part was glad they had.

'To be honest, I don't care what the baby gets named, as long as it's not Nymphadora.' She shuddered slightly at the thought of her child enduring the name as well.

'See, Sirius is still a very viable option.' He smirked and she pushed him a little.

'I'm serious.' She told him.

'_I'm Sirius._' He corrected her and she rolled her eyes, but laughed all the same.

'You know,' he started, his laughter gone, his voice quiet. 'When you told me about you and Remus, I was so happy for both of you, and when you told me you were expecting a baby, I almost couldn't contain my joy. I remember thinking that you would make such a good mum…and that he would make such a good dad.'

'That's what I thought too.' She added 'I still don't understand why he left.'

'Fear,' Sirius answered, regardless of whether the question was rhetorical or not. 'I think. He always has been a self-sacrificing prat. But I also think that he's so unused to being anything but hated, that he doesn't quite know what to do when that's not a person's reaction, that and the fact that the idea of having a family has always seemed impossible to him, he thinks he's protecting you from what he is, claiming that it's for your own benefit, yours and the baby's, that he stays out of your life. I don't think he's ever known anything better.' Although what he'd just said was profound, Tonks thought she heard him mutter something that sounded a lot like 'idiot' under his breath.

'Don't you dare make me feel sorry for him.' she warned, her voice sharp. 'I might still love him, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hex his balls off right now. And besides,' she pouted slightly, 'that's just stupid.' Sirius just nodded in agreement, and the two of them smiled again.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a little while, just enjoying each other's company, before Sirius felt the need to say something and began to recite his name over an over once more, in different tones and voices, with different accents, Tonks barely lasted a few minutes before she was laughing again, and her laughter was infectious because within moments, Sirius was clutching his sides as well.

But their moment of amusement ended the instant they heard a quiet knock on the door.

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew that knock. She'd know it anywhere. And so, apparently, did Sirius.

His face flashed with fury, his eyes glowed red.

'I'LL KILL HIM!' he screeched once more, leaping off the lounge and thundering to the front door.

'I'LL KILL HIM!'


	2. Remus' Return

_A.N: Sorry. It's been a long time coming, but Chapter Two is finally here. Enjoy. No copyright Infringement Intended._

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**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 2**

Sirius was an unstoppable, brute force as he stormed his way to the front door, Tonks hot on his tail.

His eyes burnt red-hot like embers, his nostrils were flared and the growls that were echoing through his body sent vibrations through the floor, shaking the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

'Sirius,' she tried to reason. 'You don't have to kill him you know. Maybe you could just... I don't know…torture him for a little bit.' Although she thought she had a good point (How much she wanted to make him scream, to hurt him like he hurt her, only Merlin knows), her cousin didn't appear to have heard her. He just kept going, snarling to himself and murmuring what sounded a lot like a list of ways he was going to kill Remus, very slowly and very painfully, under his breath.

When they finally reached the door, Sirius wasted no time. He reached forward and, like the mass murderer he was supposed to be, wrenched it open to reveal a slightly too thin, aging werewolf, who was looking so stricken with guilt it was beyond pathetic.

_Dammit Tonks! _She said had to remind herself. _You're not allowed to feel sorry for him. You're on Sirius's side for Merlin's sake! Remember what he did to you! _

She crossed her arms and glared daggers at him. Making sure he knew that, no matter what Sirius was going to do to him, she was going to enjoy every second.

As soon as Remus saw the look on the face of his best friend, Tonks could see that he was trying to calculate whether or not he could make a run for it, but it was too late. Sirius had seized the front of his robes and had dragged him ruthlessly into the hall, banged the door shut once more and slammed his now ex-best friend up against the hard wood of the heavy door. His hand reached for Remus' throat and formed a strangle-hold around his neck.

Sirius snarled and narrowed his eyes, while Remus had to work a little bit harder to breathe.

'Explain.' He growled.

'I'm…I'm sorry.' Remus gasped.

'Not good enough _Lupin_.' Sirius spat and tightened his grip, making the werewolf wheeze and writhe trying to release the hands from around his throat.

'Ple…please…Sirius.' He begged, struggling to breath. He had started to feel slightly faint when Tonks couldn't take it anymore.

True, she wanted to see him suffer, but she still loved him and at the end of the day, he was still the father of her unborn son or daughter. Could she really do that? Could she really allow an innocent child's father to be murdered in front of her eyes? An action that she had fully endorsed. There was no doubt in her mind that if she didn't tell him to, Sirius wouldn't stop.

'Oh, for the love of Merlin.' She sighed crossly. 'Let him go Sirius.' He looked to her questioningly for a moment but was met only be her commanding glare. Reluctantly, he let his prisoner go, but not before shooting one last furious glance in his direction.

_This isn't over. _He mouthed, and fully intended to follow through on his threat.

After a lungful of air, then another, Remus looked towards her and smiled faintly. His eyes were filled with a mix of shame, regret, love, gratitude and remorse. As she walked closer to him, her face was set in stone.

'I'm sorry Nymphadora.' He said quietly, his apology almost sincere enough to break your heart. Almost.  
She looked him over slowly before briskly raising her right hand and slapping him angrily across the left side of his face. Leaving a painful red welt on his already scarred cheek.

'_Not good enough Lupin_.' She growled and glared at him fiercely one last time before she turned her back on him and tramped back down the hall towards the kitchen, muttering under her breath all the way. The only word he managed to catch was '_Git._'

As he watched her walk off, he couldn't help but realise just how much like Sirius she could be. There was no denying the fact that she was, without a doubt, a Black. He couldn't help it, his heart sunk at this realisation. After all, it impossible to spend so many years with Sirius without learning the simple fact that, whatever you do, never, ever, annoy a Black in any way, shape or form. And he, Remus John Lupin, had annoyed a Black.

He didn't stand all that much of a chance at all.

Time had frozen and reality had ceased to exist in those moments when he was debating whether or not to chase after her, profess his undying love and beg for her forgiveness. In the end though, it was the sting of his cheek that won out and he stayed where he was.

But he had forgotten one tiny detail.

_Sirius._

He stood starring into space until a gentle tap and a soft cough brought him back into reality. Turning around, he suddenly felt a hard, bony fist collide heavily with his jaw.

'_That _was for Tonks.' Sirius spat at him, the anger was obvious within the deep lines of his face. '_This_ is for being a coward.' He punched him once again, more forcefully than the last. '_And this_, this is because you've annoyed me.' He hit him a third time.

_'Never, ever, do that again Moony.'_ He growled '_Or I really will make you wish you'd spent twelve years in Azkaban.' _Sirius glared at the other Marauder, almost as if daring him to say something. Anything at all.

He had to mentally correct himself. He, Remus John Lupin, had annoyed TWO Blacks.

He stood no chance at all, whatsoever.

All Remus could do was stand there looking dumbstruck and clench his slowly, but very definitely, bruising jaw. Sirius, on the other hand, shook out his fist and looked overly pleased with himself. His anger all but spent.

'Well Moony, good to have you back.' He said with a smile, and then kicked him in the shin. '_That _was just for good measure really.' He elaborated, eyes narrowing 'But believe me, it's not even close to being over.' As Sirius turned and walked off in the same direction as Tonks, Remus watched him go. It was impossible to think that after so many years together, he still couldn't figure Sirius Black out.

The man was an enigma.

A slightly crazy, overly protective and unusually strong, enigma.

As he continued to stand there unmoving, he thought about what he was going to do. He had always prided himself on being a smart man, though he had made some not-so-smart choices in time, he had to admit, but why couldn't he figure out a solution?

If he left now, he'd destroy any chance he might have left with the woman he loved and his unborn child. Destined to live the rest of his life alone and despised by the entire Wizarding World, empty and dead inside.

If he followed her however, he'd only make her angry and risk further injury, as well as run the risk of destroying any chance he might have left with the woman he loved and his unborn child.

His third option was to stay where he was and wait for her to realise that he deserves her forgiveness and that he really, truly is sorry.

Thinking over his alternatives, he decided he liked the sound of option three the best. It resulted in no bodily harm, no destroying any chance he might have left with the woman he loves and his unborn child and no being despised by the entire Wizarding World. In fact, all he'd actually have to do stand still, hope for the best and look pathetic.

_That_ he could do.

It was looking more and more appealing by the second.

_NO__. _

_H_e had to remind himself, mentally slapping the upside of his own head.

_That's just stupid._

_A Hufflepuff wouldn't __do that._

He realised, suddenly feeling disgusted with himself. After all, he was supposed to be a Gryffindor. Granted, a thirty-something, greying, werewolf Gryffindor, but still. Where was his fabled Gryffindor courage?

As delightful as option three sounded, he didn't think he could live with himself if that was the solution he chose. The woman he loved already saw him as nothing more than a coward and if he sat back and did nothing, she would have no reason to change her mind.

That meant he had only two options left.

Two equally unappealing options.

He didn't want to make the decision; he didn't want to even think about making the decision. It all seemed like too much pressure.

In the past, he had tended to deal with high stress situations by consulting a book and eating something chocolate based.

No such liberties were granted to him now.

He groaned.

Thinking over his options, the answer seemed clear. There was only one obvious choice and it was right in front of his eyes.

It had been the entire time.

_Think about it for a little while longer. _

After all, his head hurt.


	3. Apologies, Grovelling, Forgiveness

_A/N: __No copyright infringement intended. _

_Enjoy._

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Managing Mischief's Consequences

**Chapter 3**

Remus Lupin was standing in the hallway. He had been for the past fifteen minutes. His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. Almost sixteen now. If he listened closely enough, he could hear Walburga Black stir within her frame.

The silence unnerved him.

It was mocking him.

All he had to do was make a single decision. Stay or leave. He couldn't even do that.

He loved her more than he'd ever thought possible, and yet he couldn't bring himself to chase after her.

Though in this situation, it would be more of a slow walk after her.

Merlin, he was pathetic.

_On the count of three, I'll follow her. _He reasoned with himself, taking a deep breath, then silently reciting the numbers.

_One…Two…Three._

Nothing.

He tried again.

_One…Two…Three._

He hadn't moved a muscle.

'Bugger.' He swore under his breath.

He knew she had so many good reasons to hate him. After all, he hated himself. Especially now. He had been a coward to leave her in the first place, and he was a coward now.

What she had ever seen in him he didn't know.

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'He's still standing in the hallway, isn't he?' From her seat at the kitchen table, she turned to her cousin and rolled her eyes.

'You know the answer.' Sirius answered, looking into his glass of firewhiskey.

'He's not going to come down here soon?'

'Not likely.'

'Wrestling with his conscious?'

'And the like.'

'The complete and utter bastard.'

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He could feel her footsteps resonate through the house as she marched back towards him.

He had been standing in the exact same position for nearly; he checked the time, twenty-two minutes now, and counting.

He knew he deserved her anger, but that didn't do anything to ease the slight, tingling sense of fear he currently felt.

As she came into view, he began to wish he'd just ran instead of standing in the same spot in a musky, old hallway for the past twenty-three minutes.

'What the bloody hell are you still doing here Lupin?' she demanded with a growl, her eyes blazing.

He took a breath.

'Trying to deciding whether or not to chase after you and apologise profusely, or to leave now and let you live the rest of your life without making you an outcast.' He answered quietly.

She blinked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'Wait. You're trying to tell me that you've been standing in the hallway for the last twenty-four and a half minutes because you can't choose between the obvious choice and the completely senseless, idiotic option that caused this problem in the first place?' Though sarcasm had diluted her anger, it was still the obvious and driving emotion.

'Well, to be completely honest, my third option was to stay where I was and wait for this to happen.' She glared daggers at him. 'But since you put it that way…' she stared at his feet meekly.

No one spoke.

She glowered at him furiously and he tried to avoid her gaze, the silence deafening him.

He couldn't take it any longer.

'I'm sorry.' He whispered, pleading with her.

'For what Remus? Sorry for what?'

'For everything Dora. I just…I just didn't want to ruin your life and make you regret ever loving me.'

'It's too late Lupin.' She sighed, her voice sharp. 'You already did that when you ran away. You left me heartbroken. You left me pregnant. You knocked me up and then left, like I was some cheap one night stand.'

'I never meant to, you mean more to me than anything in the world. I would die to protect you.'

'That's not going to make this go away Lupin.' Her anger died away and in its place was defeat.

'You can't just say sorry and expect everything to be like it was before. In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a war. Our friends are dying, Voldemort is getting stronger, and there's nothing we can do to stop him, to stop any of it.' She paused and rubbed her weary eyes.

'Things were hard enough as they were, and look at how much more complicated they are now. I never wanted things to turn out this way for me, let alone a baby, let alone _my _baby. Look at what you've done.' She stopped again and looked at him accusingly.

'I've always thought of you as a smart man, as a brave man, but in just one cowardly move, you've made me realise that maybe I was wrong. Maybe everything I've ever thought about you has been nothing more than a lie. I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that.'

He froze at her words. He had been prepared for anger, sarcasm, and more than likely, physical violence. Anything but this.

He couldn't lose her.

'Nymphadora, please. I love you.'

'And I loved you Remus, but now I'm not so sure.' Her words caused him more pain than even the most malicious Cruciatus Curse. 'Just…Just leave. Please. I…I can't do this right now.'

Looking into her eyes, he knew it was time to make the decision.

'No.' he told her simply.

'What?' she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. She frowned in bewilderment.

'I said no. I'm not going to leave. I done that once already and I've learned my lesson.

I don't want to do it again. Even if I have to stand in this hallway for the rest of time, I can't leave, and I won't leave.' He took a breath and stared into her eyes with an intensity she had never seen in him before.

'Nymphadora, if I have to grovel on my hands and knees to make you see how much I love you, then I will. I don't know how many more times I have to say "I'm sorry", but whatever the number, I will. They'll be my dying words if they're what you need to hear. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I'm not asking you to love me, but I am asking you to let me love you. Don't ask me walk out that door once again because you know I can't.

Nymphadora Tonks, I love you. I've always loved you and I'll never stop loving you.

I would die _without_ you; I would die _for_ you, for _our_ child.' He was doing all he could to make her see what he had felt all along, but when he looked into her eyes, they were blank.

'Words are just words Remus.' She whispered sadly. 'No matter how you say them.'

He groaned in frustration, unable to understand how such a brilliant witch could be so blind.

His eyes gleamed with wild passion as he strode towards her, wrapped his arms swiftly around her waist and pulled her into him. Without a second thought, he pressed his lips roughly to hers and lost himself in the embrace.

It took her by surprise for a moment, but then she couldn't help but return his kiss. The tiny gesture of affection was everything she had been craving, both physically and emotionally. It made her weak at the knees and she knew that every word out his mouth had been the truth. As he pulled away, his eyes skimmed across her face, trying to interpret her expression.

She grinned and threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest.

'All you had to do was kiss me.' She whispered.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and held her tightly, not wanting to ever let her go.

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When she hadn't returned, Sirius had begun to worry.

He'd expected her to storm her way through the house, slap Remus a few more times, tell him to get the hell out, and then return to the kitchen to keep him company. It should have taken no longer than two and a half minutes, maybe three, but nowhere near this long.

'What's keeping her?' he muttered under his breath as he stalked through the ancient halls. When he couldn't find either of them near the front door, he rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, and started to search the rest of the house.

It didn't take long.

He found them together, curled up in a dark corner of a neglected bedroom on the second floor, holding each other tightly.

He wasn't surprised.

He'd expected to find them like this, though he would've thought sooner.

He knew them too well.

'Ahem.'

Leaning in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, Sirius raised an eyebrow.

'As nice as it is that we can all play happy families again,' his expression turned sympathetic. 'It's all uphill from here I'm afraid.'

'Sirius, what the bloody hell are you talking about?' Tonks demanded from across the room, annoyed at his intrusion.

'What I'm talking about dear cousin is a single, tiny detail that both you and Moony have somehow managed to overlook.'

'Get to the point Sirius.' She snapped, tired of him mocking her. The corner of his lips curled up into a smirk.

'Pray tell me Nymphadora, just when exactly were you planning on telling your mother?'

There was silence.

'Oh bugger it.'


	4. Telling Andromeda

_A/N: First of all, thank you to all the people who have reviewed, watched, and favourited this story. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update, but I promise that your patience will be rewarded. If not now, then eventually. I'll admit that 'Managing Mischief's Consequences' has been put back somewhat due to other engagements and priorites, but I will try to finish and upload more chapters, sooner rather than later. It's the least I can do. Thank you all once more. And if I may, can I add that you guys are just completely awesome. Just wanted you to know...xxx_

_No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

_Enjoy._  
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**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 4**

She hated it when he was right.

But, lo and behold, he was.

The bastard.

Why did Sirius have to go and open his stupid mouth? She was perfectly happy living in a kind ignorance. After all, Remus was always carrying on about how it would be best if no one knew she was cavorting around with a known werewolf. Though, she had pointed out time and time again that what they'd done, and what they were continuing to do, was a little more than simply cavorting. He'd just sighed. That usually meant that either she'd won the argument, or he couldn't be bothered arguing with her anymore.

She liked to think she'd won.

But then Sirius had to go and destroy everything. Like always.

She and Remus had just gotten back together for Merlin's sake. She was happier than she had been in a very long while, and she could even see a future for them and the baby.

Then the great, bloody git had to mention the three, tiny words, guaranteed to induce fear in any reasonable witch or wizard's significant other.

_Mother-in-Law._

It was a miracle that Remus hadn't run away already. If she were him, she'd be afraid too.

And how on earth was she even going to tell her mother? She could see the conversation now.

_Oh, hi mum, guess what? I'm pregnant with the child of a known werewolf who's thirteen years my senior. But it's okay because he's only tried to run away once, so far._

But that was just the start.

_Oh, and there's more. You remember Sirius? Your cousin, who almost the entire Black family hated because he wasn't a Death Eater? Well, you know how he killed all those muggles that one time and was sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life for it, but then escaped and everyone thought he was going to try to kill Harry Potter? As it turns out, that wasn't his plan at all. He was innocent the entire time, and is now working for the Order of the Phoenix, trying to bring Voldemort down for good. And by the way, now that I've mentioned him, I just thought you should know that it's one of his best friends who's the father of my baby. But how are you and dad?_

This couldn't end well.

This _really_ couldn't end well.

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'Sirius, I don't think she's breathing…' Everything was dark. Where was she? The voice sounded concerned.

'Calm down Moony. She'll be fine. She's just a little…shocked.' This one, not so much.

'Nice Sirius. Nymphadora…Nymphadora…Are you all right?'

'Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus.' She said slowly. 'What happened?' She tried to open her eyes, but clamped them shut again.

'Sirius came in and asked when you were planning to tell your mother about, well us, I suppose. Then you were completely silent for about three and a half minutes and then you fainted.' He tried to break the news as gently as he could to her. He knew that an Auror wouldn't be overly proud that she'd fainted.

'You were out cold.' Sirius added, being about as helpful as it was possible for him to be. Remus shot him a look that made him shut up. 'Ahem.' He tried again. 'I mean, we were worried.'

She could only nod.

'Are you okay? Is something wrong? It's not something to do with the baby is it?' The worry was evident on his face.

'I'm fine Remus, really.' She tried to calm him. 'The baby's fine, I'm fine, I was just thinking about what I'm going to tell my mum.' She stared into the distance and looked pale once more.

'We.' Remus told her firmly. 'What _we _are going to tell your mother.' He smiled at her. 'No more running.' She looked at the man she loved with adoring eyes, trying to take in what he'd just said.

'I love you.' She told him, as she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his. He only returned the embrace.

'Oh please.' Sirius muttered under his breath. 'Get a room.'

Tonks shot him a look of pure loathing, an indication of what would happen very shortly if he didn't leave her and Remus alone.

'Right.' He glanced around the room nervously, anxious under her harsh gaze. 'You've already got one. I was just…going.' he said as he backed out of the room slowly. Her eyes followed him until the door clicked shut once more and she returned her full attention to the soon-to-be naked werewolf.

'If anyone asks, pregnancy hormones…' she murmured into his ear before she lost control over any and all of her thought processes.

After all, she figured, sometimes it helps to replace unpleasant thoughts. And what better way?

Sirius was halfway down the hall when the moaning began. He sighed and rolled his eyes before picking up the pace and almost jogged to the kitchen. Only Merlin knows how much firewhiskey it was going to take to drown _them_ out.

'Oh joy.' He said aloud as he uncapped the bottle.

It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

'I still don't think this is a good idea.' She told them, staring down at the unassuming fireplace suspiciously, and trying to back away.

'It's now or never.' Remus answered gently, pushing her forward. 'We need to tell her, and it'll be easier for both of us if we did it a place you feel comfortable in.' As he spoke, she glanced around the kitchen of Number 12. Why he thought she felt comfortable here she didn't quite know, but it was favoured over the house she grew up in. That place was haunted by her past, and she didn't really want to have to tell her parents that she'd been "knocked up" in the same room she'd played in as a baby.

But no matter what Remus said, or what she tried to tell herself, nothing could make her feel better about what she was about to do. She looked over to Sirius, who was watching them from his position in the doorway, for support, but he offered none. She cursed under her breath at the both of them, before she grabbed a handful of floo powder and knelt down beside the newly lit fire. Throwing it into the flames, she took a deep breath, said the address, and hoped her mother wasn't home.

She had no such luck.

Bugger it.

After ten minutes and a vague explanation, Andromeda Tonks had agreed to meet her daughter for tea that afternoon. When Tonks had told her mother the address, the aging witch froze. Number 12 Grimmauld Place was a place she tried to repress. A place of numerous Black family gatherings, childhood memories and the source of nightmares. It was a part of her past that she would rather not exist, part of that due to her cousin. One of the only family members she had actually liked. After he'd been sent to Azkaban, she refused to speak of him. It was too painful.

So now, when her only child had asked her to visit a place that should've been completely unknown to the young metamorphmagus, she had to pause and ask herself why.

Nymphadora had said nothing more than 'I'll tell you then", and, without another word, disappeared out of the green flames.

It was with a sigh that she silently accepted the invitation, and shook her head as she muttered under her breath,

'_The things we do for family…'

* * *

_

She took a breath.

'Mum…there's something I need to tell you.' She really didn't want to tell her. She stared down at her feet and forced herself to continue. 'I've…I've met someone.' _Start with the good_, she told herself. 'He's smart, he's funny, he's polite, he's thoughtful, he's kind, he would never do a thing to hurt me,'_ that one,_ she realised, _was a little bit of s stretch. _But her mother didn't need to know that... 'He's _really_ good looking, and I…I love him.'

Andromeda didn't quite know what to say. The times previous when her daughter had confessed her attraction towards a member of the opposite sex, they had been heavily pierced, rough around the edges, and had never lasted. She didn't know what to expect, but for some reason she had this sneaking feeling that there was something Nymphadora wasn't telling her.

'He sounds lovely.' She did her best to be supportive, but she couldn't ignore her suspicion.

Tonks sighed and didn't take her eyes off her feet.

'But…but…he's ill.' She had no idea just how she was going to tell her mother that the man in question was, in fact, a werewolf. 'The good news is that it's not terminal. It's not contagious, and it's not really a problem most of the time. It's sort of like an old complaint that acts up every now and then, and we're handling it.' She forced a reassuring smile, but it looked much more like a grimace. She had only succeeded in making her mother more suspicious, and herself more nervous then she should've been

She really, _really, _didn't want to do this.

'You see the thing is mum, Remus is a…' But she never got to finish the sentence.

'I believe, Mrs Tonks, that the correct term is _Lycanthropy.' _The man in question announced as he strode into the room with a false confidence, and caused Tonks to bury her head in her hands.

'Nice Moony.' Sirius rolled his eyes as he followed his best friend, sarcasm dripping from his voice. 'Smooth. Couldn't have said it better myself. Git.'

Remus narrowed his eyes.

'Your support and encouragement continues to inspire me Sirius.' He shot back. Tonks groaned into her palms, making both men turn to face her.

'I can't believe you just did that.' As she opened one eye and peered through her fingers towards her mother, she hoped that it had all been a dream.

She had no such luck.

Her mother was white.

'Andromeda,' Sirius noted, a wicked grin creeping over his features. Remus, on the other hand, stayed silent.

'Sirius.' She acknowledged with a slight nod, before she promptly fainted.

The room was silent.

'Well, I think that went rather well.' Sirius smiled to himself as she took in the scene before him. 'And just think, you haven't even told her you're pregnant yet!' Tonks groaned once more, Remus paled, and Sirius just kept on grinning. 'Now, anyone care for a firewhiskey?'

He ducked to avoid a well aimed pillow.

'I'll take that as a "no" then.'

It was going to be a very, _very _long evening.

* * *

_Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Loved it? Hated? Comments and reviews are always welcome and much appreciated._


	5. First Trimester Blues

_A/N: Thank you to all those who've reviewed, favourited or alerted this story. You are all brilliant. As a present for your patience in waiting for previous chapters (and hopefully not future ones), this installment's up a lot quicker then the last, as promised. _

_No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

_Enjoy._

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**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 5**

As it so turned out, the evening hadn't been as long as Nymphadora had originally feared. After Andromeda had regained consciousness, she'd made her mother a cup of tea while they gently reacquainted her with her cousin, and Remus of course. She'd taken a while to warm to him.

It was only then that she'd told her mother that she was pregnant.

Andromeda fainted again.

She really had taken the news better than expected.

She hadn't screamed bloody murder. She hadn't tried to rip Remus' throat out. No curses or fists were thrown. It just took her a little bit longer to wake up the second time.

All was well.

Almost a month had passed since that afternoon, and her baby bump was only just beginning to show. It was strange, when she stopped to think about it. A tiny person was growing inside of her. A little baby boy or girl who depended entirely on her for survival. It was a feeling that surpassed all others.

Then there was the bump itself. It was barely visible, and easily concealed beneath her usually loose clothes, her favoured jeans and t-shirts. To the observant eye, it might have looked like she'd eaten an oversized lunch, but to those who knew the truth, it was so much more. No one other than herself, Remus, Sirius, her mother, and presumably her father knew. That's how she wanted to keep it. If the wrong people found out…It wouldn't be good.

How would the general public, let alone a society of Dark Wizards and Death Eaters feel about the fact that she was carrying a half-blood, half-werewolf, half-metamorphmagus inside her womb? For some reason, she had a strange feeling that they wouldn't take it all that well. It was safer in the long run to keep the news quiet, at least until absolutely necessary.

The baby on the other hand, had different ideas. Though tiny and barely formed, it had a huge impact on her, her body, her emotions, and her general well-being. She had never being a person who cried over anything, now it was her third favourite reaction. After laughing and screaming, and followed by throwing up. It seemed like it was all she could do these days. Oh joy.

On the positive side however, Remus seemed more than a little pleased at her newly enlarged chest.

Work, of course, was fun. Remus had asked her very nicely, though still ordered her, to take a desk job over chasing down outlaws. She quietly ignored him. After all, paper work could be just a dangerous as Death Eaters, and a paper cut just as painful as a curse taken to the chest. He didn't understand. So she'd decided upon a compromise.

She'd spun some far-fetched tale about wanting to help train the next generation of Dark Wizard catchers because she knew how hard it had been for her, and wanted to do her bit to help as many trainees as she could.

That way, she wouldn't be on the front lines, risking both her life, and the baby's, but she wouldn't be stuck behind a desk, risking paper cuts either. She almost couldn't believe it when Mad Eye had bought the excuse without hesitation, but she was thrilled nonetheless. Walking back to her office afterwards though, she was struck by an odd thought. It was then that she began to hope against hope that Moody's magical eye couldn't see through flesh and into her womb. Not only would that be just plain gross, and really creepy too. But it would also spoil the lie.

All of a sudden, she'd felt sick again.

Then there was that as well. The morning/all day sickness. She hated it. It was like her entirely body was being thrown around on rough seas without a life jacket, and she was expected to save herself from drowning in a sea of vomit. Oh joy. A lot of her morning sickness had already passed, but occasionally it returned once more for an encore performance. She didn't applaud it's efforts. She never did.

Then there were the little things that had a huge impact too. Stress tended to bring up her breakfast. As did the smell of raw meat, meat cooking, and just meat in general. She had always been quite proud of her carnivorous tendencies, and had loved the stuff with a vengeance. Now she was one of the strictest vegetarians she had ever come across. She hated it. How a stick of celery could compare to a thick, juicy steak, she had no idea. But as she dashed to the bathroom once more, she realised that even the thought of meat made her sick.

She could only sigh.

Life just wasn't fair.

This kid had better be worth it.

And on top of all her other woes, Remus was being a complete pain. He was always so careful around her, so hesitant. It was like she was more fragile than a sheet of glass. He was being ridiculous. Then there was all his other nonsense. He was worrying about his age again, not to mention his lack of money, and the whole werewolf issue, and how they would all effect a child. She was incredibly, _incredibly_ close to slapping him.

That was another thing she noticed, as her patience dwindled, her temper only continued to grow.

Oh the joys of early pregnancy.

Why couldn't it be him? Life would be a lot easier for her if he was carrying the child. She figured that if it could be done in some old muggle movie, then why couldn't the Healers at St. Mungo's, with all the magic in the world at their fingertips, do it too?

She really didn't know, but she was sure they had a good excuse.

Then there was the Order of the Phoenix. How long she could go without them finding out she didn't know. However, she had a strange feeling that Molly already knew about it, or at least suspected something. After all, when you've had as many children as that woman had, it was hard _not_ to be able to tell. She just hoped that Remus didn't want seven kids. Three was her limit.

She also tended to miss out on important pieces of information during the meetings. Someone would be halfway through a report when she would stand up and run from the room to the nearest toilet to be sick. She had told them all that she'd contracted a virus of some sort that was wreaking havoc on her insides, nausea being the worse symptom, and that she should be fine in a little while, but if they believed that story for much longer, then they really shouldn't be in a secret organisation.

On top of that, she had Sirius in her ear who kept telling her to, "next time, just throw up on Snape. He won't mind. I'm sure that vomit has shampoo like qualities…"

There was a good reason why she didn't often listen to him.

He wasn't a good influence on anybody. Let alone a somewhat impressionable pregnant woman. She knew that in the later months of her pregnancy, when she couldn't work anymore and was stuck at home with only Sirius for company, Remus really wouldn't like the things that they'd get up to together…After all, their family was more twisted than most.

In such a short time she had already been through so much, but there was still so much more to see through.

Part of her was apprehensive.

Part of her was excited.

Part of her really didn't want to go through the whole process of having to give birth.

And part of her was going to miss her toes.

But for some reason, she was content.

The world as she knew it was falling apart, but her baby gave her hope.

She wouldn't change a thing.

'_Damn these pregnancy hormones…'_

She was going to cry again.

* * *

_Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Loved it? Hated it? Picked the references? Comments and reviews are always welcome and much appreciated. In a world of silence, make your opinions heard._


	6. The Name Game

_A/N: No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

_Enjoy.  
_**

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**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 6**

'I was wondering…'

It was a cool October morning, just over three months into her pregnancy, and Nymphadora Tonks had a question. Sitting in the small, dank kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, both Remus Lupin and Sirius Black looked up at her from their breakfast.

'Yes?' The two of them asked in unison. She turned to Sirius, an eyebrow raised incredulously.

'Excuse me? Is this _your_ baby? Are _you_ his or her father? What made you think I was talking to you?' _Damn it, _she cursed under her breath. Mood swings strike again. Though to be honest, he was just annoying her. He deserved her irritation. If not now, then for something he was sure to do later. Better safe than sorry.

'While I am not the child's biological father, I like to think that I have some claim over it. The "irresistibly handsome, sometimes slightly drunk, but undeniably cool Uncle that everyone loves" must have some sort of sway in a court of law. ' Over the breakfast table, he wore an overly pleased smirk, his dark eyes alight with an equally as dark humour.

She wasn't impressed.

He sensed that she wouldn't be.

She needed a little bit of perspective. And who better to give it to her? He continued.

'Remember _Nymphadora_, that I'm a pureblood, your mother is a pureblood, your aunt, uncle and cousin are purebloods, it could always be worse. Me being your child's father would only be around four on both the "inbred scale" and the "creepy scale".'

She rolled her eyes at him. He had nerve.

Remus hid behind his newspaper. He didn't say a word.

'_So very, very much worse…'_

'Not. Helping. Sirius.' She growled through her teeth. Why did he have a way of turning a simple discussion into something so difficult? 'Are you finished now?'

'No. I am not.' He took a deep breath, flicked the hair of out his eyes, and made a show of acting almost completely serious. 'As for my claim over the child, if you try to deny me of my rights, I shall have to pursue legal action. You will be hearing from my attorney shortly. Good day to you.'

She couldn't believe him.

The complete and utter bastard.

'Sirius, in case you've forgotten, you don't _have _an attorney. And even if you did, not only would he turn you into the authorities without hesitation, seeing as you _are_ a wanted criminal and all, but you have no case. You are not the child's father; you're not even a named guardian. What rights do you think you have?'

'I. Said. Good. Day.' With that, he stood abruptly from his chair, and stormed indignantly past her out of the room.

As she watched him go, Remus deemed it safe to sneak a glance from behind his "disguise".

It wasn't.

'What the HELL was that?' She demanded of him, confusion and exasperation etched on her face.

Remus tried to hide again. It didn't work. She glared him into submission. He could feel her piercing eyes through the layers of thin paper.

'Bad things happen when he gets bored. You know that.'

'Yes, but – '

'He got bored.'

'I can tell.'

'He also tends to started quoting things…' She didn't comment. She really didn't want to know about the inner workings of Sirius Black. 'Now what did you want to talk about?' He pushed aside his paper completely and looked her straight in the eye. Unlike someone, he could be serious.

Some of the time.

When he wanted to be.

When she needed him to be.

'I know that it's still early days and all, but I…' He took a sip of tea. She waited for him to finish. 'But I wanted to talk about names.'

'For the baby?' She rolled her eyes at the question.

'No Remus. Kinky, naughty sex names for me.' He very nearly almost spat out his mouthful of tea.

'If that's what you want dear…' He sounded afraid. Very afraid. Yet for some reason she had a feeling that he wasn't too opposed to the idea. She rolled her eyes once more.

A werewolf really was a _beast._

'What do you think? Of course the baby.'

'Oh.' He looked disappointed.

'I heard "Kinky, naughty sex names". What did I miss?' Sirius, with timing impeccable as always, stuck his head back into the room. He was never one to be left out of things, especially anything to do with _that_.

'Nothing Sirius,' Remus sighed. 'We were just talking about names for the baby.' Now it was Sirius' turn to look disappointed.

'"Kinky, naughty sex names" would be more fun.' They didn't even bother to respond to his complaints. So he continued. 'And look how easy they are to come up with…Nymphomaniac Nymphadora…Dora the Explorer,'

He winked at them.

'Guess _what_ she explores…' Both both Remus and Tonks looked close to slapping him. Most people would've been able to see their tempers rising substantially, hers more so than his, but Sirius didn't notice. 'Beauty and the Beast…Hunk of sexy werewolf love…Fluffy…'

'THAT'S IT SIRIUS!' She was very nearly steaming from the ears. He put that down to the pregnancy hormones. It was impressive though. 'ONE MORE PERVERTED COMMENT FROM YOU AND I SWEAR I WILL PERSONALLY CASTRATE YOU!' She had had enough._ No-one _makes fun of her sex life and lives to tell the tale, or at least lives to enjoy similar pleasures.

Remus looked ready to kill.

Sirius shut up.

After all, he was a smart man.

He knew when something was worth protecting.

The family jewels more so than most.

Not only were they delicate, but incredibly vital as well.

He _needed_ those.

He didn't say another inappropriate word.

Well, not another too inappropriate word anyway.

'Baby names.' She growled staring at him. He smiled innocently. He got the message.

'Yes.' Remus looked at him menacingly too. He wasn't quite as frightening as Tonks though. Sirius knew that he and Moony had too much of a history for him to forcefully take away his wedding tackle. And besides, as another man, he could empathise.

No honest, hardworking, not completely evil man could consciously do that to another.

No, definitely not. Remus posed no real threat from that corner. Tonks, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. To condense the entirety of his beliefs for the past three months, and those for the next six: _never mess with a pregnant woman._

He had no intentions of doing so.

Not until she couldn't chase him anyway.

'So…Boy or girl?' Sirius grinned at them like a man whose genitals hadn't been threatened recently. He tried to sound like he was interested, but he just wanted to move the conversation away from said threatened genitals. The comment seemed to calm them both down.

'Well,' Tonks began, a small smile creeping across her face. 'I kind of have a feeling that it's going to be a girl. I think I'd like a girl.'

'A boy would be quite nice.' Remus answered thoughtfully, his eyes alight with the endless possibilities.

'An X-Men like mutant kid would be _so cool_.' Sirius answered his own question with a level of excitement usually only found in five year olds. His eyes also alight with endless possibilities.

Remus and Tonks just stared at him.

'Right. Shutting up now. Gotcha.' He made a vague zipper like gesture across his lips.

'And you wonder why you have no claim to the baby Sirius.' Tonks just rolled her eyes again. Sirius unzipped his lips.

'You know, if you keep doing that, the wind's going to change, and your eyes are going to be permanently stuck like to the top of your head.' She glared daggers at him. He re-zipped his lips and stared at his hands. He thought he had a good point.

'I'd also like at least part of one of our names in his or hers, if that makes sense. I want my child to know where they came from.' Tonks looked thoughtful, Remus mirrored her expression. Sirius raised his hand.

'Personally, I vote for the name "Sirius".' They ignored him.

'"Remus, for a boy – '

'Or "John".'

'"Remus, or "John" for a boy.'

'Or "Sirius".'

'And for a girl…anything but "Nymphadora".' She shuddered at the thought. Remus took her hand in his and rubbed it gently, reassuringly.

'"Dora".' He nodded, and she smiled.

'"Dora".' She echoed.

'Or "Sirius". It's unisex.'

Tonks turned to her cousin. She was clearly unimpressed. 'Okay, two things Black,' she only ever used both her work voice _and_ his last name when she was really annoyed. 'Not only did you just ruin _the moment,_ but think about it for half a second. _"Remus Sirius Lupin"_ sounds stupid. There is no way that I'm going to call my baby _"Remus Sirius Lupin". _It sounds like the result if the two of you had a gay love child together.'

Remus turned green.

He'd already endured _those_ rumours all through his Hogwarts years. After all, was it really healthy for four teenage boys to spend _that _much time together?

Sirius just raised an eyebrow at the pink-haired witch.

'Honestly Nymphadora. What do you take me for?' He couldn't believe her. 'If Moony and I had a gay love child together, we'd call it "_Sirius Remus Black"._ I'm pretty sure that _I'd_ wear the pants in that relationship.'

She just stared at him.

Remus banged his head against the table.

Sirius just smirked.

'You've actually _thought_ about it before?' Tonks asked him, somewhat horrified. He ignored her.

'You know its true Remus.' He taunted the man who was currently pretending that he didn't exist. 'And besides, _"Sirius Remus Black" _has a nice ring to it. Don't you agree?'

He was having far too much fun.

There was only one thing Tonks could do.

Slowly, she stood up from her seat, gazed around the table to take in her lover, her cousin, the empty cups of tea, the half-eaten pieces of toast, an abandoned newspaper, and a completely disgusting concept. With a small nod, she dashed from her place and to the nearest bathroom.

She was going to be sick again.

Though this time, she knew that it had absolutely, positively nothing to do with the baby.

* * *

_Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Loved it? Hated it? Picked the references? Comments and reviews are always welcome much appreciated. In a world of silence, make your opinions heard._


	7. Truth, Lies, and just a touch of Murder

_A/N: Okay, Chapter Seven. Yay. I really am on a roll, aren't I? Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or alerted this story. It really does mean a lot to me. You are all amazing. I'm not too sure when I'll have Chapter Eight up, but hopefully it won't be too long. Remember, hang in there. _

_No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

_Enjoy._

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**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 7**

'Remus…I really don't see _why_ I have to go…' He ignored her moaning as he made them both a cup of tea. With a sigh, he crossed the room to the table and sat down beside her.

'Because Nymphadora, you're long overdue for an appointment. It's been over three months and you haven't seen a Healer since before you were pregnant. We need to do this. For the baby.'

'But –'

'How else will we know if the baby's healthy or not?' He had a good point. She really did need to pay a visit the maternity ward of St. Mungo's. If not for her own sake then for that of her unborn son or daughter.

'You're right…When should we –' she never got to finish her sentence, for it was at that moment that Sirius burst into the room. A grin on his face and mischief alight in his eyes.

'My ears are burning…Is there a problem dear cousin?'

She sighed. Didn't he ever get sick of interrupting every, single conversation she tried to engage in with another human being?

Obviously not.

This couldn't end well.

'We need to go and see a Healer.'

'Can I come?'

She looked to Remus. Could he really be _that_ stupid?

'What part of "wanted criminal" do you not understand?' He merely laughed at her.

'Oh Nymphadora, you can be so funny at times…' She glared at him. She really wasn't in the mood for his antics. 'In case you've forgotten, I had quite the reputation in my day.' He winked at her. 'I'm pretty sure that I've slept with enough of the female staff members for them not to mind too much. They'll probably welcome me back with open arms, _and_ open –'

She shot him a warning look.

He never finished that sentence.

No one actually wanted him to.

Tonks looked at her cousin, and rolled her eyes as a witty remark formed on her sharp tongue. It was just one of those things that had to be said aloud. That, and it would do him good to have his ego taken down a peg or two.

'Sirius…Has anyone ever told you that you're a slut?' He just stared at her.

If she wanted to play like that, then soon she would learn to never mess with a master of the game.

Himself being said master.

She would be sorry she even opened her mouth. He would make her sorry.

Remus tried to hide behind his cup of tea.

Sirius' face was pleasant as he leant over to his cousin and met her eyes.

'I'd just like to point out that I'm not the one who is, in fact, currently pregnant _Nymphadora_…' The words hung over them, the extent of their damage still yet to be assessed. Sirius was still smiling sweetly, like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. 'I'd be careful of who I'm accusing of being a slut, if I were you.'

Tonks felt as if she'd been slapped.

_How very dare he!_

She would make him pay. Oh yes. He would be sorry. She would make Remus make him pay. After all, there are some things that you can't do on your own. Defending your baby's honour was an act that required the involvement of both parents. Not just one.

Though, to be honest, it was more about her honour than the baby's, but sometimes it was nice to have someone stand up for you.

Now was one of those times.

She glared at him. He was still trying to hide behind a tea cup.

The bastard.

'Feel free to step in any time now Remus. No, really, any time at all.' She was unimpressed, sarcasm and annoyance dripping from her voice. Sirius was smirking in victory.

Remus slowly put down the cup and cleared his throat in hesitation. He had learnt long, long ago to never cross Sirius Black. He had also learnt not to cross Nymphadora Tonks. The question was: which was worse?

Part of him wanted to sigh. Part of him wasn't willing to take the risk.

He couldn't win.

Though Tonks had an advantage that Sirius didn't. She was carrying his child.

He took a breath.

'Sirius, as your friend, I ask that you take back that comment and apologise to Tonks.' Sirius just looked him up and down, the corners of his mouth pulling into something that vaguely resembled disgust.

'Moony, as your friend, shut up.'

That was it.

Tonks had leapt across the table and was trying to pull her cousin's ears off.

'_YOU BASTARD!'_

'Ow, ow, OW! Remus! Get her off me!' He was pathetic really.

'Nymphadora, calm down.' He hadn't stood up, he hadn't raised his voice, yet Tonks still heard him. She turned her head, and while still inflicting maximum pain on Sirius, she sweetly smiled.

'We'll talk about this in just a minute, honey. Let me finish murdering Sirius first, okay?'

He sighed.

'If you kill him, they won't let you keep the baby in Azkaban.'

She froze.

She thought for a just moment, and then turned back to him, smiling once more.

'Then just let me finish seriously injuring him, okay? He doesn't actually listen, so he doesn't actually need his ears.'

Sirius, meanwhile, was on the edge of tears. While Tonks was right, he didn't actually listen a lot of the time, but he had grown somewhat attached to his ears.

They were just always there, on the side of his head. He'd miss them if they were gone.

He didn't want to say goodbye.

'Tonks,' Remus began once more. 'Let him go.'

'But –'

'Let him go.'

She sighed as she reluctantly slid back to her seat. She shot him an annoyed look as she did so. Sirius was nursing his newly freed head. He couldn't actually feel his ears anymore. He wasn't entirely sure that they were still there.

He hoped they were.

Over the table, he glared at his cousin. The plans of revenge were unmistakable in the stare. Tonks mirrored his expression.

Remus sighed once more.

He felt like Mary Poppins. How much he wanted to say '_Now children, if we can't play nicely, we won't play at all…' _no words could describe.

It really was like dealing with five year-olds sometimes.

'_St. Mungo's._' he reminded her. She slowly turned and realisation flooded her face.

Then apprehension.

Then disgust.

Then a touch of fear.

'But…But…I don't want to go.' She'd never had a problem with going to see a Healer before, but now that she was pregnant, it was like she had to give away a part of herself. A part that she so wanted to keep.

'You have to. For the baby.'

'But,' she was struck by a thought. 'But you said that you wanted to keep the baby a secret.' A tiny smile wound its way across his mouth.

'I said that I wanted to keep the identity of the father a secret. There's a difference.'

'But then what will we do?' He just looked at her. He hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

Funnily enough, it was Sirius who came up with an answer.

It was the wrong answer, but still, it was an answer.

He had been all but silent for the past few minutes as he tried to regain use of his ears, and checked to see if they were bleeding.

They weren't.

'It's obvious, isn't it?' he looked back and forth, from one to the other and rolled his eyes at the both of them. With a sigh, he spoke a single word.

'_Lie_.'

Remus and Tonks were silent. They met each other's gaze. Why hadn't they thought of that?

It probably had something to do with the fact that they hadn't spent twelve years is Azkaban, and hadn't nearly lost their minds.

Sirius continued.

'One of you needs a false identity for the father of your child, and one of needs to hide the fact that you fathered a child from authorities who are already severely prejudiced against you.' He smiled slyly. 'What you both need is a man who isn't around to disprove the lie. Who is unlikely ever to hear of this web of deception. And seeing as Snape is probably still a virgin…Someone in Romania perhaps….'

Then it clicked..

To the rest of the world, to the Healers, to the authorities, and to anyone who deemed Remus an unsuitable father, the baby's daddy could be Charlie Weasley. They'd never know. All they'd have was the word of the mother. At least until a paternity test could be taken.

Then it would be too late for anyone to try to intervene.

Problem solved.

But things are never as simple as they seem in Sirius' mind.

'It would never work.' Tonks sighed to herself as she looked at his hands. 'Molly would know. She'd never allow it.'

She was right. They all knew it.

Remus was silent.

'We're just going to have to tell the truth.' Sirius rolled his eyes.

'That's a stupid plan.'

'It's all we've got.'

As she rested her hands protectively over her stomach, she shook her head slowly from side to side, mostly to herself.

Sirius was right. It was a stupid plan.

The truth never worked.

* * *

_Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Loved it? Hated it? Comments and reviews are always welcome and much appreciated. Remember you have a voice. In a world of silence, make your opinions heard._


	8. What is Right and What is Easy

_A/N: First and foremost, I am so sorry about how long it's been in between updates for this. Thank you for everyone who has been patient and to all those who have reviewed, favourited and/or alerted this story. You guys are amazing. I swear._

_So here it is. Chapter 8. Although it's taken a lot longer than I originally said, I promise that you won't have to wait that long again. Once more, I am so sorry. _

_No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

_Enjoy_

* * *

**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 8**

As she walked down the snow covered streets of London, Nymphadora Tonks clenched her oversized coat closer and let out a sigh.

Why did she have to do this?

She could understand Remus' argument, of course but that didn't necessarily mean that she agreed with it.

And anyway, she hated Healers. She hated needles. And she hated the blinding lights of St. Mungo's. She really didn't want to have to go but a tiny part of her was grateful that at least she wasn't alone in her plight.

'You know, you really shouldn't be doing this Sirius.' She muttered under her breath, to the black dog silently padding along behind her. The same black dog/cousin that had been determined to go with her to her appointment.

He just stared at her.

She sighed.

'If anyone recognises you…' She made to continue but stopped halfway through her sentence, realising that she was, in fact, talking to a dog. 'Damn you.' She growled to the mutt and, for just a moment, she could've sworn that she'd saw him smirk.

She hated when he did that.

Time passed in silence as the pair traipsed on towards St Mungo', their destination ever closer, their resolve flaking, just like the snow around them.

She still didn't know how Remus had convinced her to go to St Mungo's. She knew it was for her own good and the good of the baby but that still didn't mean that it was the best idea in the world.

Especially considering who the daddy was…

That was another of the reasons why she was slightly frustrated with Remus at the moment. While he'd talked _her_, and inadvertently Sirius, into going, _he'd_ manage to weasel his way out of accompanying them. Granted, she had to admit, if anyone saw them together, going where they were going and put two and two together, there would be hell to pay. As Remus was so delightfully always reminding her.

That didn't mean it was okay though.

She was still mad at him.

It was a matter of principle.

More steps and snow passed and it wasn't all that long before they were actually there. She froze in front of the familiar, yet still vaguely foreign building and took a breath, mentally preparing herself for the task at hand. As she did so, she tried to convince herself that she could do this. She was an Auror for Merlin's sake. She fought dark wizards on a daily basis, not to mention a lot of rather evil paper work as well. Why was she so apprehensive now?

She sighed.

She knew the answer.

It was because there was so much at stake.

So much that she couldn't afford to lose.

So much that she didn't want to lose.

For the first time in years, she had her cousin back. A cousin who, surprisingly, was handling the whole situation much better than she would've thought. She had a man who loved her more than anything and wouldn't do a thing to hurt her and she, in turn, loved him so very, very much.

Then there was the baby.

_His_ baby.

_Her _baby.

_Their_ baby.

She'd never anticipating falling pregnant like she had, to someone like Remus, at a time when nowhere was safe but she didn't regret it. Every day she found that she was falling more and more in love with the tiny life growing inside of her and she knew that she would do anything for them; anything to protect them.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't paying the slightest attention to the monotonous task of gaining access to the renowned wizard hospital. In fact, it was only when an overly polite, if somewhat unresponsive female voice commanded that "the dog" stay outside.

She smirked.

'I'm sorry Snuffles,' she began, her voice oozing with false concern. 'But it looks like you'll just have to wait here for me. I won't be long.' All through her mocking, "Snuffles" had to sit patiently and cock his head like any good, not animagus, dog would. This only made Tonks' tirade all the more sweet.

'I promise I'll be back soon.' He wagged his tail half-heartedly. She was enjoying this far too much. 'Now, be a good boy.' Her parting words were much too gleeful and, for some reason, she was feeling so much better now than she was before. Taunting a wanted convict could do that to a person.

As she passed into St Mungo's she glanced back to him and almost melted at the pitiful expression that was painted onto his face. She didn't know why she felt like she did at that moment, especially since she had just had so much fun insulting him. He was her annoying cousin, not a lovable dog that needed a hug.

But at that moment the lines blurred. She wasn't too sure which was which and she didn't particularly care.

She blamed the hormones.

She was still cursing them in her head when she walked into the blazing white of the waiting room.

She froze.

The sight that greeted her was nothing like she had expected.

All of her life she had been something less than normal and for that reason she'd never really fit in anywhere and somehow always managed to stand out in a crowd. Yet, here, she was positively bland. She was a slight, twenty-something, barely showing, pregnant witch, whose hair, granted, was toned down to a pale brown today. Surrounding her, however, were people carrying a vast array of interesting, unusual and, often, repulsive injuries. Most of them were magical, yet some not. Cuts and scars were in abundance, along with streaks and smears of red, and sometimes other coloured, blood. There were bites, a lot of them still with the animals attached. There was a man a few places from the main desk who was nursing, what looked like, his right foot in his hands and didn't seem all that disturbed at all. There was also a mother and her son, both were painted bright orange, from what she could only assume was a potions incident.

It was an interesting experience, to say the least.

Through the mass, she could see a small gathering of people who looked to be in the same state as she was. Slowly, she moved over to their corner and took a seat. Even here, she was the odd one out. Most of the women looked like they were about to explode and none of them looked too happy about it. There was only one cheery woman and she wasn't even pregnant; the man next to her was. The bump was unmistakable and appeared only a few months further developed than she was. She knew she was staring but she couldn't help it. She didn't know if she would be able to pull her eyes away, but thankfully she didn't have to. With a call of: _'Mr and Mrs Mannering?' _they were called in to be examined and Tonks was left to her thoughts once more.

She really didn't belong here, she reckoned. She wasn't sick, she wasn't insane and unlike those directly around her, she wasn't going to explode. Not yet, anyway.

It seemed like ages before her name was called and she dragged herself into the consultation room. Looking around, she deemed that the only thing brighter than the spotless white walls were the lime green robes of the Healer seeing to her.

'Now Miss Tonks,' the short woman began, without ever pausing to mention her own name. 'Just a few routine questions if you don't mind, then we'll start. 'Age?'

'A lady never tells.' She could only sigh when the Healer didn't laugh. 'Twenty-five.'

'Occupation?'

'Auror.'

'And the father?'

Silence.

She didn't know what to say. She knew what she should've said, of course: _Remus John Lupin, _but for some reason the words just didn't want to come out. She could feel the emotionless eyes of the stout woman on her but they just made her stammer.

'The…The father?'

'Yes, the father. He is?'

They had gone through this before, the other night, in the basement of Number 12, she was supposed to tell them the truth. Anything else wouldn't work. But she couldn't. Now, as she saw it, she had two options. The truth had been ruled out, so that left her with either, lie or tell them that she didn't know, and come across as, as Sirius had so bluntly called her, a slut.

She internally groaned.

She really didn't want to do this.

Why was it that the getting pregnant part was always more fun than everything else that came afterwards?

It wasn't fair.

And besides, she had been so good at the getting pregnant part.

The Healer just kept staring at her, and it might have just been Tonks' imagination, but had the woman started to tap her foot as well?

'The father is…he's…' All of the options flashed across her mind. She grabbed onto one and ran with, hoping against hope that she wouldn't get caught out.

'_Charlie Weasley_.' She blurted. The moment she had said the name aloud, she knew it was the wrong thing to say but she couldn't take it back. Her mother had always taught her: _least said, soonest mended, _and now she knew that she had said too much. The woman just nodded and kept asking her questions but she wasn't paying attention anymore. She was thinking about what she had just done. What it would mean.

_Oh Merlin._ She sighed. She was going to be in trouble.

If he found out, Charlie was going to kill her.

Remus was going to kill her.

Sirius was going to laugh at her.

And, perhaps worst of all, Molly was going to kill her.

It was then that she knew she was doomed.

* * *

The rest of her appointment passed in a blur and she was something very much less than vigilant as she breezed out of St Mungo's, not even stopping to notice the dog that hadn't appeared to have moved in all the time she had been gone, the same dog which now uprooted itself and followed intently on her heels. While she wasn't running, her pace was much faster now than the dawdle it had been before. She just wanted to get back to Remus. To have him tell her that everything was okay.

It was times like this that she much preferred to walk than to apparate. It gave her time to get her thoughts in order and to think about what she was going to do now. That, and she had been told that she shouldn't even think about apparating anymore. Not when any excessive activity centred around the naval might just bring forth her unborn baby through said orifice. She had decided that it was better not to risk it.

She sighed as a red traffic light forced her to slow her pace and she quickly glanced at Snuffles at her heels. Although he had been jogging to keep up with her, he had focused her with an odd questioning glare and she didn't want to admit that that was the last thing she needed right now.

A dog messing with her conscience.

'Oh stop looking at me like that.' She knew that onlookers would've thought her insane for talking to the huge black dog trotting behind her, but she didn't care. _She_ knew the truth.

After all, how many other people can honestly say that their dog's a wanted convict?

"Snuffles", as he was so called, just gave her another look.

'Shut up.' She could've sworn that he shook his head as he adverted his gaze, almost as if telling her that, _I can wait until we get home_.

As she traversed the miserable streets of London, she tried not to think. There was just too much. _Remus will know what to do, _she tried to argue as the Number 12 Grimmauld Place, or where it should've been , between numbers 11and 13, came into view.

She didn't waste a moment as she performed the necessary gestures and spells needed to grant her access and then ran into the dark and musty hallway, her animagus cousin still on her heels. As she slammed the door behind them she saw Remus, halfway towards them, a slightly perturbed look on his face.

'I was supposed to ask you your security question.' He muttered as she rushed into his arms, him not hesitating to abide, and Sirius transformed back into himself somewhere behind them.

'Well Tonks,' the man who, until just previously had been a dog, began as he dusted himself off. 'What was it like?' Remus looked at her expectantly.

'I was surrounded by fat people.' She moaned into his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile.

'And…' He gently prompted. Unlike Sirius.

'She turned her head to meet his eyes, then reached and dug around in her pocket, only to bring out an already half crumpled picture of what was supposed to be their baby, yet resembled something else entirely.

Wordlessly, she handed it to him: to the real father.

He was speechless.

His eyes were locked on the tiny life moving around, undisturbed within the frame of the photo. It took a moment for the truth to sink it but it finally did. That was _his _baby.

His grin spread from ear to ear and yet he didn't even know he was smiling.

From behind them, Sirius snuck up and peaked over his best friend's shoulder, looking at his unborn, honorary niece or nephew.

'Yep,' He clasped Remus on the shoulder. 'Looks like a "Sirius" to me.' Nobody actually listened to him. Both parents-to-be just kept staring at the picture.

Tonks cleared her throat quietly before she started to speak.

'I didn't ask about the sex, I didn't know if you wanted to know but I want it to be a surprise.' Remus just nodded. He still couldn't speak. She continued. 'The Healer says he or she's healthy and developing normally. I have to go back in a little while for another check-up but everything looks good so far.' She tried to smile but she couldn't quite manage it. He just kept nodding with a vaguely pleased, if somewhat stunned look on his scarred face.

Though while one of the men currently in the room hadn't noticed her somewhat forced expression, another had. Sirius cocked his head lightly to the side and stared at her for a moment.

'What aren't you telling us?' The question took all of them by surprise. Tonks most of all. She had known her cousin to be a perpetual joker; an eternal contradiction to his name but now he was the epitome of serious.

'Excuse me?' She had to make sure that she had heard him right. After all, how could he know?

'I can see it in your face. There's something you're not telling us.' It was only now that Remus looked to her, surveying her face. He could see it too. Now, she had two pairs of eyes, waiting for an answer.

She could only sigh.

When she spoke, she spoke to the man she loved.

'Promise you won't get mad at me?' The memories that phrase brought back, she realised. She had lost count of the number of times she had uttered those words to her mother, her father, various teachers and peers through her school days and even, on occasion, to Mad-Eye Moody. She had never thought she'd need to say it to Remus though. Now that she had, she knew that she had good reason behind that reservation.

He just stared at her. Once more, at a loss for words. He forced a puzzled smile.

'Of course I won't.' He promised her gently as he reached for her hand to comfort her.

With a breath, she admitted what she really hadn't wanted to.

'I was in the room with the Healer when she started asking me all these questions.' Her eyes flickered up to his before she continued. 'She asked my age, what I did for a living and…' she had to pause for a moment. 'And who the father was. I…I didn't know what to say.'

'The truth. Remember?' Sirius interjected from his new position, leaning against a wall while he examined a mark on his arm that looked suspiciously like a flea bite.

'I wanted to.' She told him, told both of them. 'I really wanted to. And I tried. I tried so hard. But the words just wouldn't come out.' As much as he didn't want to admit it, Remus had a feeling that he knew what was coming next. 'The Healer kept staring at me, waiting for an answer and I didn't know what to say…so I told her that –' He cut her off as he brought a worn hand to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily.

'You told them that Charlie was the father, didn't you?'

She could only nod.

He always knew.

There was no way she could've hidden something like that from him, she should've known.

'So,' she tried, if only to break the silence. 'What are we going to do?'

Still nobody spoke.

'What we are going to do my darling Nymphadora,' It was Sirius' voice that spoke up, not the one she was expecting and not the one she needed. However, she listened nonetheless. It was better than nothing. 'Is put our heads between our knees, kiss our arses goodbye and hope against hope that Molly never finds out.'

There was still silence but an unspoken agreement echoed around them. That had to be the best idea any of them had heard all day.

Not only that but it was the only plan they actually had anymore.

People say that the truth is hard. They're wrong. A lie requires so much work, so much effort to maintain and, at the end of the day, was just so much harder than any truth could ever hope to be.

As Sirius would no doubt put it, so eloquently, they were well and truly screwed.

Oh joy.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, here's a deal of sorts. I know that there are people who read this, who have favourited and who have done the whole subscribe/alert thing to it. Can we pretty, pretty please see if we can get up to at least 20 comments before I upload the next chapter? Please...  
Even better still, if we can get up to 25, I'll include some sort of Remus/Tonks goodness or something else you see fit to suggest..._

_So yeah, I'll leave that with you..._

_Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Loved it? Hated it? Comments and reviews are always welcome and much appreciated. Remember you have a voice. In a world of silence, make your opinions heard._


	9. Plans and Procrastination

_A/N: Once more, thank you to everyone who has favourited, reviewed and/or alerted this story - you're all amazing. _

_With that, there's not really anything else to say, save for "Enjoy"._

_No Copyright Infringement Intended. I Own Nothing._

* * *

**Managing Mischief's Consequences**

**Chapter 9**

'Okay, let's think about this.' Ever since the scene in the hallway, Remus, Sirius and Tonks had relocated to the kitchen. Right now, it was Remus who was pacing around the room, like he so often did when he needed to think, and was on the verge of ranting.

'We can't tell Molly.'

'That's for sure.' Sirius chimed in under his breath.

'Ditto.' Tonks added meekly, if somewhat miserably.

'And we can't tell Charlie.' Neither of them could disagree with that.

'So then what do we do?'

'Hope that no-one notices?' Tonks tried hopefully. Remus just looked at her. 'Which isn't going to happen, is it?' He shook his head.

'Believe it or not, it's actually a lot harder to hide a baby than one would usually think.'

'Well, then I've got nothing.'

There was an air of hopelessness about the whole affair.

'We could go to Australia.' Sirius offered. 'No-one would think to look for us there.'

'_What?_' Two head immediately spun to face him and questioned his sanity in unison.

'Well, let's think about it for a second. If we're that far away we wouldn't have to answer to Molly. We could spend our time relaxing on beaches, it wouldn't be raining, we wouldn't have to worry about the world ending and all that, plus,' he spoke directly to his best friend. 'No-one would know you're a werewolf and even if they did hear you howl – or something, they'd just put it down to, I don't know, a dingo perhaps. Or some other bizarre and very possibly deadly native species they have Down Under.'

When he finished, there was silence. Two faces just stared at him, as if they didn't know what to say next. Finally, Remus, the ever-present voice of reason throughout their shared Hogwarts days, half sighed in response to the unexpected proposal.

'Sirius,' he began slowly. 'That has got to be the most ridiculous plan I have ever –'

'Shut up Remus,' Tonks cut him off without a second thought. 'That just might work.' She spoke more to herself then to anyone else, a vague sense of wonder at the possibility. 'It's crazy…but it just might work.'

Two sets of eyes looked at hers incredulously.

One pair in disbelief, as if trying to comprehend the fact that she had actually agreed with him for once.

The other, as if she had completely lost her mind.

It wasn't all that hard to guess which response belonged to whom.

One grinned.

One sighed. Again.

'We _can't_ go to Australia.' Remus reminded her. 'We're in the middle of a war.'

'All the more reason to.' Sirius interjected. 'It wouldn't be the first time people have been evacuated to safety in dangerous circumstances…'

'Yes but –'

'Really then, we'd be keeping up with tradition. There's no crime in that.'

'Maybe so…but how could you live with yourself? Sitting on a beach while your friends, your family and all the people you've ever known or loved risk and lose their lives?'

There was silence.

What could anyone of them say to that?

'_Moony…'_ Sirius very nearly pleaded. 'I've spent twelve years in Azkaban. Don't you think I deserve at least a little bit of a holiday? Please…'

There was a good reason why it was a dog he chose as his animagus all those years ago; why he still answered to the name "Padfoot": He could flash a pair of puppy-dog eyes that could make even the harshest of prefects/ teachers/ authority figures show at least some degree of mercy. Even the late Lily Potter never had been as harsh in punishing him as she probably should have been. It, of course, also added to his irresistible charm and animal magnetism.

Yet all those years of practice had, in turn, provided Remus with a sort of immunity to the widened eyes and pouting bottom lip of a certain wanted criminal.

'Not just yet, I'm afraid. Believe it or not, there is a difference between going on a holiday and running away. What you're suggesting is the latter of the two.' He spoke calmly and with an air of trying to break bad news to a child.

'But…'

He just shook his head.

Sirius sighed.

Then he sighed again. This time, frustration had replaced disappointment.

The third time he sighed held tones of acceptance.

Sirius Orion Black had always been abnormally resilient. It was another of his particular talents.

'You're probably right Moony.' Sirius admitted thoughtfully. His whole demeanour changing within the space of a minute and a half. 'After all, Australia is crap.' He counted off the reasons why on the fingers of his left hand. 'I don't like it. It's too far away and the Sex Pistols didn't come from there. Why did you even suggest going in the first place?'

The only two other people in the room were left speechless. Somewhere between confusion and wondering whether or not the man who went into Azkaban all those years ago was the same one that came out. Despite Remus having previously assuring her that it was, Tonks still had her doubts and now knew that they were rather well-founded.

In the end, both silently agreed to not say a word. For one thing it was easier and would save them a great deal of time and neither of them actually knew what they _could _say.

They truly were dealing with an enigma.

'Why don't we just tell Molly the truth? Then we go in, correct the paperwork at St. Mungo's and never have to worry about this happening again.' The previous conversation had been well and truly left in the past as the resident werewolf and father-to-be spoke once more and outlined the basis of his plan.

There was a low hiss.

From more than one person in the room.

'We already decided that the truth never works.' Tonks moaned as she put a hand on her stomach. She had been doing that more and more lately. 'And it's too late for that anyway.'

'It's never too late for the truth.'

'Which is why so many people know about your _condition…_' Sirius drawled sarcastically as he shot a questioning glare at his fellow marauder. 'Besides, I agree with my darling cousin.' He added, waving a lazy hand in Tonks' direction. 'Especially after you wanted to go to Australia. That was a terrible plan….What happened to you Remus? You used to be good at this sort of thing."

Another thing he was particularly talented at was passing the blame.

He was very, very good at it.

Remus glared at him.

The force of said glare was deliberately ignored.

That look, Sirius had added years ago to his long, long list of "Things to Ignore". Nowadays, it was ranked at number eleven. Just before Tonks' chorus of "_Don't call me Nymphadora_", at number thirteen but after Snape, who was ranked at number two.

Ranked at number one was his mother.

That wasn't that big of a surprise really. Not when he stopped to think about it.

Sometimes when he was feeling all warm and fuzzy and completely unlike himself, he would think of his cousin. He would think of Tonks and how she was raised away from a world of dark magic, pureblood supremacy and house-elf heads on walls. He thought how about how lucky she was that her mother was kind and loving. Andromeda, like himself, had never really belonged in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. She had followed her heart, married a muggle-born and broke away from a family who was cruel, controlling and unforgiving. True, she had been disowned but, then again, so had he. It had been better that way. He never had missed that life and he suspected that neither had she. Yet now, he had been forced to return to the house of his fathers.

And for what reason?

"_For the greater good."_ Dumbledore had told him, time and time again. Both now and all those years ago, back when James and Lily had still been alive.

He knew it was a lie. The greater good only meant the loss of life. He had watched so many friends suffer for a better future that he hadn't seen and they never would. So many were already dead and, before the war was over, so many more would die. All for the greater good.

_How could anyone even call it "good" anymore? _He would sometimes wonder as he lay awake in bed, just staring at the ceiling.

He didn't know.

Part of him suspected that he didn't really want to.

For a moment he simply stared into space, his mind too hard at work to focus on anything else. As a result, it was with a start that he was dragged back to reality by a sudden and frankly rude realisation that he hadn't stopped to consider before.

He looked around the kitchen once more, at the two figures he had been talking to in the moments prior and, who now, had apparently lost all interest in him.

There was silence.

Funny, he hadn't noticed it until now.

Too lost in his thoughts, he supposed.

From across the table it seemed like both Remus and Tonks had given up on discussing what they were going to do about the lie.

Now she was just gazing at him, and he at her, both like love-struck youths. He could see the stars in their eyes as they got lost in each other's.

It was quite sickening really.

Sirius sincerely hoped that the wanting looks would remain as such and nothing more until a time when he was absent from the kitchen.

He didn't think he could handle _that._

After all, it couldn't be good for the baby.

_Baby…_He thought, for perhaps the millionth time since Tonks had first announced first that she was both pregnant and abandoned by her significant other.

He had been furious then, just as that same fury was surfacing again once more.

That realisation that had been so cruel to him only moments ago was rising in his being.

This wasn't just a thought.

It wasn't some idea.

It was fact.

And it had taken him this long to see it.

He had been so preoccupied with the details that he had missed the blatantly obvious.

He was annoyed with himself but more so with Remus.

After all, _how could he? _

The bastard.

Sure, when Moony and Tonks had gotten back together, he had made sure that his friend knew what he was willing to do and who he was willing to beat to a pulp in order to protect his family.

That, he thought had been settled then.

Apparently not.

He glanced to the clock.

The afternoon had very literally flown by. It was almost dark and there was an Order meeting scheduled for later that night. Said later, being rather soon actually.

He would've paused to wonder just where the afternoon had gotten to, if (a) he didn't already know and (b) he wasn't formulating a plan.

It was with a small cough that he interrupted the excessive amount of sexual tension in the room.

Once more, in unison, two heads turned towards him.

'So, have we got a plan yet?' the question was more in an effort to start up a conversation, rather than to actually solve the problem at hand.

_That, _he acknowledged_, would have to wait. This was much more important. _

If only everyone else in the room right then could've heard the inner monologue of Sirius Black at that moment. A certain number of things would've been made very clear and any upcoming trouble may've been averted.

But it never does work that way.

Tonks shook her head slowly.

'Still nothing.'

There was a general feeling of bleakness amongst the three of them.

Then, without warning, Remus made a quick clicking sound with his tongue.

Sirius grinned. He knew what that meant.

As would've Prongs; as would've Wormtail – even though he truly hated to admit the latter.

When Remus made_ that_ noise, it meant that he had an idea.

It was the physical manifestation of the little light bulb that signified a recent brainwave.

It was his variation on the cry of _Eureka! _

And, during their Hogwarts days, it would've led to long nights of planning and plotting, all to come up with the perfect prank.

Now, minus the pranking, it meant that they had a feasible solution to a problem that shouldn't have been created in the first place.

'We…' He began slowly. He was meticulous with the words he chose and his thought processes were visible, whirring through his eyes.

Sirius and Tonks both turned to him, anticipation etched into the lines of their faces.

Remus sighed one last time. With an air of, almost, defeat.

In that moment, any need to celebrate turned to the dust beneath their feet.

Wearily, Remus rubbed the bridge of his nose with a scarred hand as he continued.

'We put this off for as long as possible.' Short and sweet. It with full-proof, yet it didn't actually solve the dilemma. 'Not a word of this is mentioned to the Order until absolutely necessary. We carry on as normal until we have to tell them the truth and, even then, we tell no one about what happened at St. Mungo's. All we really can do is procrastinate. Put off the inevitable. Maybe then we'll have time to set everything straight.'

Silence.

No one really knew what to say.

That is, of course, with one exception.

'So you're saying we keep this a secret?' Sirius asked, making sure that he had heard right.

Remus nodded.

For a moment, they were quiet, trying to predict the consequences that would ensue.

Amongst the seriousness, a single grin broke out upon the face of the only man who was likely to, considering the situation they were in.

'Cool.' Sirius nodded. 'No one ever trusts me with secrets.'

Remus and Tonks stared at him incredulously once more.

Was he serious?

'Are you forgetting, oh cousin of mine,' the pink-haired witch began. 'That you are an escaped, wanted criminal, hiding from the full force of the law?'

'Well, -' He made to come back with a sharp and witty retort but Remus cut him off.

'And that you are, in fact, a member of a secret order?'

'That's different.' He tried to adamantly claim but, for some reason, it didn't achieve the intended effect.

Two pairs of eyes just kept staring at him.

Like he was an idiot.

In this instance, they were fairly sure he was.

'Oh shut up.' He snapped at them.

Honestly, now it was best to just move on. It didn't take all that long in the company of Sirius Black for one to learn when to, so to say, let sleeping dogs lie. Or in this case, a wounded dog.

And so they did.

It was all they could do.

'But wait…'Tonks began but she stopped mid-sentence, wondering aloud. 'But what if someone asks about the father?'

'Then we tell them the truth – it's me.' Remus answered with a slight, unwavering nod.

He, long ago, had realised that there was no going back. Just as he had realised now that this was the only hope they had. After all, a half-truth was better than a blatant lie, wasn't it? That and it meant that there was a higher chance of their bluff not being called. Which, right now, truly was the only plan they had. Or at least the only plan that was at least half plausible. There was no way that they weren't going to go to Australia…

With that, there was nothing really left to say.

There was no-one left who had anything they wanted to say.

After all, what could they?

Sirius was sitting in his chair, his arms crossed and a surly look on his face, trying to nurse his still injured pride.

Tonks was quiet. She was going over the details in her head. Sure, it wasn't a permanent plan, but it would do. Or at least it would buy them the time they needed to figure out just exactly what it was they could do.

Which was, right now, not a lot.

Then there was Remus. He was simply watching the two people either side of him. Waiting for a response that he didn't know why he was anticipating. He seemed content with that explanation. Especially since it was either that, or deal with his own inward emotions which _(a)_ he didn't like to normally do and _(b)_ were, at the moment, in a complete and utter mess. It was at times like this when it was just easier to try to sort out everyone else's hearts then to have to deal with your own.

Amidst the silence, there was a sudden, quiet cough.

Followed by a mild voice.

'Tonks?' In that moment, He wasn't sure why he spoke. He doubted that he would ever know. Or that he ever wanted to. For months now, even before _this_ had all started, there had been a thought, dancing around, across and through his mind. It had plagued him all hours of the day and night and there was nothing he could do except, well, ask her aloud. 'I was wondering if I could maybe ask you a question…' As she turned to meet the familiar soft eyes she had fallen in love with, Remus couldn't help but cough once more as he opened his mouth to continue. 'You see, I wanted to ask you if…maybe…'

'Yes?'

'If you would perhaps like to…'

It would've been the perfect moment. That is, of course, if a certain someone hadn't been there and hadn't chosen that moment to open his own, rather large mouth.

'Shut it Moony.' Sirius interrupted without warning, demonstrating his true romantic nature. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was coming. Not only did he want to make sure that his best friend was absolutely sure; he needed to sort something else out first. 'How about you and I take a walk before you say anything you're going to regret.'

It seemed like a not too bad idea.

But then again, so many things often do.

And not all of them end as well as hoped.

'Why not?' Came the reply, weary once more and half sighed, followed by the high-pitched screech of two chairs being moved. Suddenly, still half sitting, a question sprang to mind. 'Wait…But where?'

Sirius rolled his eyes.

He couldn't go outside so then that, naturally, left only one feasible option.

'Just around the house really. Besides, there's something I wanted to show you.'

It seemed like a perfectly understandable explanation. Remus simply nodded and, with a small smile, followed his friend out of the room and up the staircase leading out of the grimy kitchen of Number Twelve, leaving a rather annoyed young witch in their wake.

'Thanks for my invite guys…' Tonks added, under her breath, to the two figures walking out of the door, as she rested her hands once more over her stomach. _'Who's a bastard?'_ she crooned to the little, unborn Lupin. _'Uncle Sirius is a bastard. Isn't he? Yes…'_ Though somewhat good-humoured, she couldn't disguise the touch of resentment in her voice. Though she would've liked to blame the hormones once more, sometimes he could just be a pain in the arse.

Yet, at the moment, he wasn't being a pain in _her_ arse.

Remus, however, was a different story altogether.

If only he had seen the anger filled glare his best friend was harbouring as they walked out of the room, maybe he wouldn't have said yes at all…


End file.
